Authorization verification system for vehicles

ABSTRACT

An authorization checking system for motor vehicles, in which a control unit in the motor vehicle, having a portable user-transponder, in an inquiry-response dialog using data exchange, checks, and allows or blocks, the authorization for unlocking or locking the vehicle doors as well as for starting or driving. In order to be able to modify the identifiers of user-transponders and components of the motor vehicle in a security-relevant manner, a so-called master-transponder is provided in addition to one or a plurality of user-transponders. The master-transponder has a particular, vehicle-specific identifier, using which, in a special-inquiry-response dialog, the authorization to carry out and complete special functions within a preselected scope, going beyond the access and start/drive authorization, can be checked, and allowed or blocked. For carrying out the special functions, the master-transponder has acoustical and/or optical display devices and/or input devices.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an authorization checking system formotor vehicles, in which a control unit in the motor vehicle having oneor a plurality of user-transponders, in an inquiry/response dialog usingidentifiers in accord with each other, checks, and allows or blocks, theauthorization for unlocking and locking the motor vehicle doors as wellas for starting and driving the motor vehicle, and using amaster-transponder, in a special-inquiry-response dialog, differingtherefrom, checks, and allows or blocks, the authorization for carryingout special functions.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

An authorization checking system operating for motor vehicles, thatemploys user-transponders and one special master-transponder, isdescribed in European Published patent application Ser. No. 0 835 790.Authorization checking systems of this type are advantageously used astheft protection systems in motor vehicles, having access to, starting,and driving the motor vehicle only being granted to the user having avehicle-specific user-transponder. In authorization checking systems ofthis type it is desirable, after loss or theft of a user-transponder, toprovide for the possibility of erasing (the data from) user-transpondersof this type, adapted to the vehicle as a result of a programmingprocedure, and of programming new and/or other availableuser-transponders. In this context, the master-transponder functions toreprogram the identifier for the user-transponder. However, a dataexchange between master-transponder and control unit for carrying outexpanded special functions is not possible.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention, in an authorization checkingsystem of this type used as an access and start/drive authorizationsystem, that the user (be able to) carry out further special functionsin a simple manner using the master-transponder.

Since, in the event of the replacement of defective vehicle components,the loss of a user-transponder, the programming of a newuser-transponder, or the modification and/or addition of a specialprogram, an authorized service station is not always available, the userof the motor vehicle, if he is in possession of the master-transponder,can undertake these procedures himself. Since the user cannot start anddrive the motor vehicle using the master-transponder, the latter can bekept separate from the motor vehicle in a theft-proof place and can beused only when necessary.

Furthermore, since all operationally relevant electronic control unitsof a motor vehicle, furnished with a corresponding connection for theexchange of data, and the vehicle-specific master-transponder receive acommon code at the end of the assembly line and, in a suitable systemdesign, receive their mutual identification marks, e.g., serial numbers,it is not sufficient in the case of stolen vehicles to replace only onesingle control unit. For this purpose, replacement components areprogrammed to the remaining original vehicle electronic system, inconnection with the vehicle-specific master-transponder.

Further special functions, easily realizable through the use of amaster-transponder designed in accordance with the present invention,are the programming of function limitations of a vehicle, for example, amaximum permitted driving distance or limited usefulness of equipmentobjects connected to this system, such as a mobile telephone, as wellas, particularly in the case of leased motor vehicles, the reading outof relevant vehicle data. This data can be the actual driving distance,the date and time, defects as well as data in the form of an electronictrip recorder.

For noncommercial vehicle owners, an electronic trip log book can bemaintained in the same manner, providing information on fuel usage,kilometers driven, or defects arising during the trip.

For all of these special functions, protection against unauthorizedaccess is desirable, thus presupposing the master-specificspecial-inquiry-response dialog.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The figure illustrates a block diagram of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the block diagram, STG designates a control unit, accommodated in themotor vehicle, having transmitting and receiving devices for dataexchange with a user-transponder U-TP and a master-transponder M-TP. Thedata exchange, in accordance with the related art, can take place in awireless or contactless manner. Control device STG, in accordance withsafety requirements, is connected to other operationally relevantcomponents, here by way of example to engine control unit MST, such thatall of these components can be placed in operation only if authorizationis present. All of the devices for data exchange, such as antennas,etc., are not depicted separately and belong functionally to controlunit STG.

Using user-transponder U-TP, access to a motor vehicle, i.e., thelocking and unlocking of the vehicle doors, can be controlled, just as,if necessary, the authorization to start and drive the motor vehicle canbe. After the inquiry of the identification mark of a transponder istriggered by control unit STG, e.g., after pulling an external doorhandle, in using an inquiry-response dialog ZFAD, for example, controlunit STG transmits an inquiry signal to user-transponder U-TP ormaster-transponder M-TP. If the queried transponder responds using thecorrect response signal, the locking or unlocking of the vehicle doorsis carried out or, upon checking the driving authorization, thepermission to start the vehicle engine and to further use the vehicle isprovided or, in the event of a false or missing transponder response, isdenied.

In one specific special-inquiry-response dialog SFAD, vehicle controlunit STG communicates only with master-transponder M-TP. Individualidentifiers of user-transponder U-TP and master-transponder M-TPdesignate the respective dialog and the scope of functions. Theswitchover from normal access-inquiry-response dialog ZFAD tospecial-inquiry-response dialog SFAD proceeds through recognition of thespecific identifier of a master-transponder M-TP belonging to thesystem. This master-transponder M-TP, in particular, has specialauthorizations for carrying out security-related functions, which gobeyond normal vehicle use. Special functions of this type are, aboveall, programming and/or erasing data from user-transponders and/orprogramming replaced vehicle components, such as the engine controlunit, transmission, etc.

Master-transponder M-TP authorizes only access, but it does not provideauthorization for starting or driving. As a result, on the one hand, thelegal vehicle owner is to be hindered from carrying themaster-transponder with him for normal vehicle operation, and on theother hand, security-critical procedures, such as programming withoutservice station devices, require access to the vehicle interior.

Since master-transponder M-TP permits these security-related procedures,it is a unique copy, programmed along with the entire vehicle at the endof the assembly line manufacturing process.

In contrast, user-transponders U-TP, in larger numbers both on theassembly-line and as well as later in a service station, can beprogrammed and/or erased using a corresponding device and/or, inaccordance with the appropriate system design, by the vehicle andmaster-transponder owner directly in the vehicle. In principle, theinitiation of the corresponding procedures requires the presence ofmaster-transponder M-TP, irrespective of whether the programming and/orthe erasing is to be performed using a service station device, e.g., atester, or only using the available vehicle devices.

In order to avoid greater equipment expense in the vehicle and to makepossible servicing without a visit to a service station, the presentinvention provides that all devices for carrying out the procedures,such as scanners, switches, displays, etc., be furnished on or inmaster-transponder M-TP. As a result, advantages are achieved withrespect to space requirements for devices in the vehicle that are onlyseldom required, as well as with regard to increased theft protection asa result of placing the components for the special functions (keyboard,menu, etc.) in the specially marked and unique master-transponder M-TP.No re-programming using a different master-transponder M-TP, alsofurnished with input device EG and/or display device AZ, is possible dueto the vehicle-specific secret identifier that would then be missing,not even if an external supplemental device were used. The latter, in acorrespondingly designed system, also requires the vehicle-specificmaster-transponder M-TP as identifier generator with respect to thevehicle, i.e., it can only provide the display and/or input device aswell as the data connection to the motor vehicle.

The user of master-transponder M-TP can be guided both optically(display) as well as acoustically (speech production), in order to beable to carry out selectable special functions. Master-transponder M-TPis then advantageously provided with an acoustical and/or an opticaldisplay device AZ and/or with an input device EG. Display device AZ canbe a speaker, an alphanumeric display, or even a simple light-emittingdiode having a blink code, and input device EG can be a keyboard havingany number of keys. Both devices are also possible separately. The useof a display of any kind already present in the motor vehicle is alsopossible on the basis of a keyboard on or in master-transponder M-TP,or, vice versa, the use of a keyboard present in the vehicle, such as ofa mobile telephone, is also possible on the basis of a display device inmaster-transponder M-TP.

If master-transponder M-TP contains an information or display device AZ,then this can also be used for other purposes, e.g., as an “electronicvehicle registration document,” as a registration device for serviceintervals or as documentation with respect to as to when respectiveuser-transponders U-TP were programmed. Thus insurance fraud on thebasis of pretended theft is made more difficult.

The power supply and the data exchange can be carried out both over aconnecting line as well as in a wireless fashion, e.g., inductively. Inthe latter case, it is particularly advantageous if master-transponderM-TP can be inserted into an already available write/read unit, such asof a car radio or mobile telephone. Other kinds of power supply and/ordata transmission can obviously also be used. Thus master-transponderM-TP can also contain its own energy source in the form of a battery oraccumulator (storage cell).

It is particularly advantageous if a recording device is installed inthe vehicle interior for user-transponder U-TP, which, particularly forprogramming but also for selective erasing from the vehicle data memoryin control unit STG, is placed into the recording device. In thismanner, it is always assured that only one user-transponder U-TP isprogrammed and/or erased, in contrast to systems having communicationbetween the vehicle and a transponder located somewhere in the interiorof the vehicle (so-called “hands-free” systems).

The advantage of the separation into master-transponder M-TP anduser-transponder U-TP lies in the fact that the user does not need tocarry any numerical code (PIN), and the only one who can undertakemodifications in the vehicle (replace electronic components) and/or inthe access rights, is the one who is in possession of vehicle-specificmaster-transponder M-TP. The use of an external supplemental device byitself is not sufficient for this purpose.

What is claimed is:
 1. An authorization checking system for a motorvehicle, comprising: at least one user-transponder; a control unit inthe motor vehicle that, in accordance with an operation of the at leastone user-transponder in a first inquiry-response dialog havingidentifiers in accordance with each other, checks and performs one of anallowance and a blocking with respect to an authorization for unlockingand locking vehicle doors and with respect to a starting and a drivingof the motor vehicle; and a master-transponder, according to anoperation of which the control unit, in a special-inquiry-responsedialog differing from the first inquiry-response dialog, checks andperforms one of an allowance and a blocking with respect to aperformance of special functions, and according to the operation ofwhich the control unit provides only access to the motor vehicle but notthe authorization for the starting and the driving of the motor vehicle,wherein: the master-transponder, in order to perform further specialfunctions, includes an input device and a display device, and thespecial functions include: performing at least one of a programming of anew one of the at least one user-transponder and, an erasing of analready programmed one of the at least one user-transponder, programmingat least one of replaced vehicle control units and electronic vehiclecomponents connected to a protective system, and programming uselimitations of at least one of the motor vehicle and equipmentcomponents, and reading out vehicle data.
 2. The authorization checkingsystem of claim 1, wherein, in accordance with the operation of themaster-transponder, security-related vehicle special functions are atleast one of programmed and blocked.
 3. The authorization checkingsystem of claim 1, wherein, in accordance with the operation of themaster-transponder, the special-inquiry-response dialog andvehicle-specific core data for the at least one user-transponder are atleast one of programmed and blocked.
 4. The authorization checkingsystem of claim 1, further comprising: an external supplemental devicein connection only with the master-transponder and for performing atleast one of an erasing and a programming of programming procedures. 5.The authorization checking system of claim 1, wherein at least one ofthe erasing, programming and data selection procedures are guided by atleast one of optical and acoustical directions.
 6. The authorizationchecking system of claim 1, wherein the master-transponder is suppliedwith power according to one of an inductive process and an electricalconnection from the vehicle.
 7. The authorization checking system ofclaim 1, wherein the master-transponder includes one of a battery and astorage cell.
 8. The authorization checking system of claim 1, whereinonce access is granted via the master-transponder, vehicle devices areautomatically switched over to a special operation.
 9. The authorizationchecking system of claim 1, wherein the master-transponder one ofmodifies and limits functions of vehicle devices.
 10. The authorizationchecking system of claim 1, wherein the master-transponder reads out andfeeds to an evaluation unit outside the motor vehicle at least one ofthe vehicle data and use data.
 11. The authorization checking system ofclaim 1, wherein to carry out the special functions, themaster-transponder functions as an identification device and as adisplay, and the input of one of data and commands occurs using inputdevices of equipment units arranged in the motor vehicle.
 12. Theauthorization checking system of claim 1, wherein to carry out specialfunctions, the master-transponder functions as an identification deviceand as a display, and the input of one of data and commands occurs usinga car radio arranged in the motor vehicle.
 13. The authorizationchecking system of claim 1, wherein to carry out special functions, themaster-transponder functions as an identification device and to inputone of data and commands, and a display of procedures and a guiding of auser occur using output devices of equipment units in the motor vehicle.14. The authorization checking system of claim 1, wherein to carry outspecial functions, the master-transponder functions as an identificationdevice and to input one of data and commands, and a display ofprocedures and a guiding of a user occur using a car radio arranged inthe motor vehicle.